Drowned brothers' whanau grief-stricken

Flowers have been left where brothers died collecting seafood at Kakanui on Tuesday evening. PHOTO: HAMISH MACLEAN

The men who drowned while gathering seafood in heavy seas at Kakanui this week were brothers with roots in the Far North.

Kereta Tatana. Photo: Supplied

Kereta Tatana (24), of Ahipara, Northland, and Whererika Popata (30), of Windsor, North Otago, were born in Kaitaia, and raised in Auckland.

Mr Tatana was visiting his older brother and doing what "they both loved most" when they were swept off the rocks in an area below Harbour Tce, near Campbells Bay, commonly used to collect kina, paua and mussels.

Heartbroken family members have flooded social media with tributes.

Flowers have been left at the site where, on Tuesday, police, rescue helicopters, and other members of the community tried to reach the men, reported by a member of the public to be struggling in the water about 5.30pm.

Police confirmed the men were dead about 8.30pm that night.

Yesterday, police identified the men and expressed condolences to their friends and family.

The men's sister, Athena Reihana-Campbell, told NZME the family was devastated by the drownings - Mr Popata left behind two sons, Xavier and Kendrix.